Q: Rattling under the hood on the left side

asked by on February 19, 2018

Starting earlier today, when I was idling or in park, my car was making a rattling noise not too loudly under the hood. Drove my car home and had a friend who knows a little more about cars come and check it out and when he did my car was making the rattling noise whether I was parked or not, seemed to get louder when I turned my wheel to the left. Either I just can't hear it or the noise stops when I get above 50 or 60 mph. Can hear it pretty well whenever I am breaking also. My alignment has been slightly off for a couple of months also if that makes any difference. The rattling just started today and has already progressively gotten worse.

My car has 179000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

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The noise originates with the engine or the transmission, including the mounts. The suspension, alignment, and chassis are not implicated because you are indicating that the noise occurs when the vehicle is stationary. There are many components, both on and within the engine, including the accessory drives, that can cause rattling. If you want the noise pinpointed, and the repairs made promptly, the recommended service is a vehicle noise diagnostic. If you request that service, the responding certified mechanic will get this diagnosed and resolved, right at your location. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic because we want you to make the most of your repair dollars and help you to get the best possible results.

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